English–Japanese

“retainer” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajikerai

Example

殿様には家来が三人います。tono sama ni wa ke rai ga san nin i ma su

The lord has three retainers.

Illustration for 家来 (retainer)

How to say “retainer” in Japanese

“Retainer” in Japanese is 家来 (kerai).

Describes someone attached to a powerful person's household who provides service and support under that person's authority.

Full entry for 家来: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 家来

彼は若いころ、殿様の家来として働いていました。kare wa waka i ko ro tono sama no ke rai to shi te hatara i te i ma shi ta

When he was young, he worked as a lord's retainer.

Tips for using 家来

  • 家来 (kerai) is useful for historical or fictional settings, but calling a modern coworker a 家来 can sound humorous because the word suggests a lord-and-subordinate relationship.

“retainer” in other languages